A system of, and method for stereoscopic patent imagery filing submission, archiving, searching, and viewing for the U.S.Patent Office, is hereby described, whereby, some of each patent's imagery (drawings, figures, pictures, wireframes, X-rays, MRI's, CAT scans,, movies, graphic image layers, simulations, and other visual data) contain stereoscopic imagery which can be vewed three dimensionally (in 3-D). Stereoscopic patent imagery can be viewed by at least one of the following means: virtual reality display systems, volumetric display viewing systems, head-worn stereoscopic viewing systems, audio visual glasses, stereoscopic glasses with self contained stereoscopic displays, polarized glasses viewing systems, alternating horizontal interlace viewing systems, lenticular display systems, analglyphic image viewers, left / right alternate image flickering viewing systems, holographic viewing systems, laser retinal displays, and other 3-D viewing systems. This enables patent readers and viewers of patent imagery to use the added depth perception of stereoscopic imagery, distance ranging, parallax, convergence, forshortening, as well as, stereoscopic graphic image layering to better visualize and understand the invention elements described in the patent being read. He can see what the invention parts look like from many angles or directions. Stereoscopic images contain more information than two dimensional images. The reader can interactively simulate moving parts (by rotating & moving parts up, down, left, right, forward or back). He can also rotate image views, remove, add or selectively color 3-D layers, explode the 3-D imagery, or even disassemble and assemble parts. These actions are performed by computer siumulations, selected stereoscopic movies, and stereoscopic image-pairs, with optional audio descrptive naration, speaker independent speech recognition verbal commanding controls, tactile feel, haptic feedback and/or, gesture sensing recognition. The reader can say, “In Figure 7a. remove layer 3 and then slowly rotate part number 310 on a vertical axis counter-clockwise ” The patent reader can take a virtual tour of the inside and outside of the invention patent. Other optional imagery can contain stereoscopic X-ray fluoroscopic views, stereoscopic CAT scans, stereoscopic PET scans, stereoscopic endoscopic imagery, stereoscopic ultrasonographic imagery, holograms, and stereoscopic electron-microscopy imagery. This system will be employed in all world-wide patent offices and the Google patents search engine to improve technological understanding.

With this system, a person can submit a 2-D or 3-D image to search the patent database for similar inventions, via categories, functions, similarities, characteristics, and shapes. This is accomplished with image recognition software and images parameterized fed into the search engine.

Today, all patent figures are filed and viewed two dimensionally and there are no 3-D patent image searches. Patent images are sometimes hard to understand and visualize two dimensionally. Two dimensional drawings include orthographic projections, axonometric projections, isometric drawings, renderings, and even one, two, and three point perspective drawings, By using this stereoscopic patent figure viewing system, these problems are solved by enabling the reader to better understand and visualize the patent images. Stereoscopic imagery files will in the future be filed in the patent office as full virtual reality files, video files, stereoscopic image-pairs, audio files, and/or other necessary format supporting files.